To The Gallows
by Ninjazz
Summary: We had ongoing jokes about pirates, so one day I got very hyper and decided to start a fic  entirely crack-fic, don't be mad  where everyone's a pirate. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS THEY ARE LICENSED BY CAPCOM.
1. Abduction

Lord Birkin read the note over, pacing his small office. He had awakened to a servant's scream, and by the time he'd gathered the guards all they had discovered was the dead servant's body, along with a note.

_Birkin, my dear old friend, it has been awhile. By now I'm sure you've discovered the body of your servant. The poor girl walked in at the wrong time, and if she hadn't screamed I might have spared her. But then again, probably not..._

_I leave you this note with simple instructions. I've taken your dear daughter, and if you want her back alive, I would much appreciate a handsome compensation. Of course, by now I am probably out on the seas, far from you, so I'm sure you will find a way to contact me when you are ready._

_Your old friend,_

_Albert Wesker._

William didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure how to contact the man, nor how he could get enough gold to satisfy the kidnapper. He never thought Wesker would have the guts to backstab him, and hoped he wouldn't hurt Sherry.

William turned and looked at his head guard. "I want you to do all in your power to find his bloody ship," he said. "And don't hold back!"

The guard nodded. "I shall, lord. But, may I suggest one small thing?" he asked.

"You may," said William.

"Maybe we should call 'them'," he said.

William's eyes opened wide. He hadn't even considered that option, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. 'Them' was a code used for the most daring, ruthless, and careless pirate ship out there. He'd once spared the ship's captain from a death sentence, and was holding onto a favour from him. This was the perfect situation, but there was still a doubt hovering in his mind.

"Lord, there isn't much choice," said the guard.

William snapped back to reality, and sighed. "Of course, you're right...I shall summon him at once, for if anyone can find my daughter, it surely is him," he said.

* * *

><p>The Veronica, known as the Death of the Seas, glided on the calm surface of the water. It was a foggy night, which made the darkness of the ship even more eerie.<p>

Sherry Birkin sat in her cell, her back against the cold wood of the ship, staring at an endless dripping coming from the ceiling. She was freezing, hungry, scared, and above all she was bored. The only time she'd seen anyone since her abduction was when the guard came by to make sure she was still alive. _That's really reassuring,_ thought Sherry. She heard a door creak as it opened, and she sighed. "I'm still alive!" she said, not wanting to see the fat guard's face at the moment.

A tall figure appeared in front of her cell in a flash, laughing. "I sure hope you are, my dear," he said.

Sherry stood up slowly. "Who...who are you?" she asked.

"My dear, you don't recognize me?" asked the man.

Sherry blinked, suddenly feeling like her fear was eating her alive. "Uncle Wesker?" she asked.

Wesker grinned. "But of course," he said.

"It's you!" said Sherry, running to the bars of the cage. She grabbed them firmly and shook them. "Please, let me go!" she said.

Wesker laughed again. "Unfortunately, I cannot do that just yet. See, your father is working so hard to do whatever is possible to have you back...you wouldn't want all his work to be for nothing, would you?" he asked.

"But, I'm scared!" said Sherry.

"Of course you are. Now, I'll let you in on a little secret dear...I don't care at all for whatever reward your father wants to give me. You see, I want to see one man hanging at the gallows, no other way, and knowing your father he's already contacted the man to come and find you," said Wesker.

Sherry backed up again and sat down. "But why don't you just kill him yourself? I want to go home!" she said.

Wesker shook his head. "You see, I need you here as a leverage. If your father finds out you've been killed, there is no need to send the man to me. Once all of my puzzle pieces come together, the man will be sentenced to death for the murder of the Birkin Lord and his daughter," he said. "Nobody will know otherwise, since the word of a pirate means nothing."

Sherry sat there, taking in the information. She was entirely helpless, and was terrified at the thought of having to sit there and wait for her own death, at the hands of someone whom she trusted since she was born.

"It's alright if you're scared, my dear, but it will not be for too long. My men are searching the sea as we speak, looking to destroy the man's ship and crew, and take him back to me to complete the plan. It will all be over before you know it, so try and rest," said Wesker. He turned and in the blink of an eye he was gone.

Sherry sat in the cold darkness once again, only now she had so many things spinning around in her head. She needed to find a way off the ship, and fast.

* * *

><p>Captain Chris Redfield locked the wheel into place, and looked out into the horizon. "Nothing but sea...the best view ever," he said.<p>

"Captain, are we really going through with this mission?" asked his first mate and closest friend.

Chris grinned. "Jill, I owe this man my life, and if all I have to do to repay him is find the kid and bring her back then yes, we really are going through with this mission," he said.

"But...this is the Veronica, the most evil ship known to man," said Jill uncertainly.

"Am I sensing fear?" asked Chris, smiling.

Jill looked down. "No sir," she said.

"Stop calling me that, I told you to drop the formalities already," he said.

They heard a shout coming from the observation tower and looked up to see the ship's young medic, Rebecca Chambers, waving her arms frantically.

"Hey, there's something out there!" she yelled out.

Chris and Jill ran to the front of the ship and looked out into the distance. Chris shook his head and looked back up. "I don't see it!" he yelled.

Rebecca was looking into her telescope, nodding. "It's out there, Captain!" she yelled.

"I can't see anything," said Jill.

"Me neither. What does it look like, Rebecca?" asked Chris.

Rebecca blinked and lowered the telescope, feeling very idiotic. She brought it up and sighed, wiping the lens with her sleeve. "Sorry sir, it was just a bug on my telescope..." she said.

Chris couldn't help but laugh. Medicine was the girl's strongpoint, and she was still learning the ropes for the other stuff so he found it near impossible to give her a hard time. "Be careful up there," he said.

"Yes, sir!" said Rebecca, saluting him with her childish grin.

Jill headed to the steps and sat down, sighing. "You know, if it had been an enemy ship, we would be entirely unprepared," she said.

Chris sat next to her. "Are you implying our defences aren't strong enough?" he asked.

"Not just that, but we don't have much on attack either. I mean, when's the last time we actually fought a battle out?" asked Jill.

"You know I don't like fighting unless I really have to," said Chris, standing.

"I know, but if we take this mission, I think we'll have to," said Jill.

Chris put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Now, I'll leave it to you to direct the ship to some sort of land. We'll need supplies and information before setting out on this damn rescue mission," he said. Jill nodded, and he walked down the deck towards the quarters below.


	2. Reunited

The fog was thick, and Rebecca wasn't able to see a thing around them. She made a note to inform the captain that it would be wise to lower the sails and just let the current carry them, so that if they hit something it wouldn't be at full speed.

She was sitting on the ledge of the lookout tower, sighing. She didn't see any point in being on lookout duty when there was nothing to lookout for, but still she kept to her post as ordered. She found it unfair that everyone was down in the quarters while she was up here alone, but Captain Chris had said that he had to be a bit harsh on her so she would learn faster.

Rebecca froze, looking out into the fog again. She thought she'd seen something pass by, and it sounded like something was causing a rippling noise on the calm and silent sea, but she couldn't see anything now. She shivered, thinking back to several tales she'd heard along the way. There was one story about a ship that hid in the fog, and could get right against any ship undetected. The captain was a careless thieving pirate known only as Red, and it was said that Red's crew would steal everything onboard the ship right down to the last rope, and disappear without the owner ever noticing a thing. By the time anyone realized they'd been robbed, Red's ship was nowhere in sight, and nobody had ever caught up to it.

Rebecca laughed, realizing how stupid the stories sounded. She stepped off the ledge and blinked, stopping dead on her tracks. Something cold was pressed against her throat, and she could take a random guess saying it was a blade.

"Shh..." whispered someone behind her.

Rebecca turned her head slightly, but before she could see anything she was hit in the back of the head with something heavy, and everything went black after that.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that's gonna leave a mark," said the young male.<p>

"Whatever, let's secure the rest of the ship and start packing," said the young girl, grinning as she put her sword in its sheath.

The boy nodded and slid down the rope that linked the lookout tower to the deck. The girl watched him go and did the same on the other side. Once on the deck, she walked with perfect stealth towards the small window. There was a light coming from the other side, and she knew that was where everything was; the quarters, the crew, the treasures, and everything else.

As she neared the window, the door next to it opened and a young woman stepped out. Both of them stopped moving, staring at each other.

"What the hell is this?" asked the woman, reaching for her sword.

The girl turned and ran the other way, sword already in hand. She could hear the chasing footsteps and grinned. _That's right, get away from the door and follow me,_ she thought.

"Hey, stop!" said Jill as she chased the young girl on the deck.

The girl turned and held the sword up, blocking the expected swing from Jill's sword. "Predictable," she said.

Jill jumped back, holding her sword up. "What do you want? And how did you get on the ship without being seen?" she asked.

The girl grinned and nodded up towards the lookout tower. "Your rookie seemed tired, so I put her down for a nap," she said.

Jill looked at the tower nervously. "Rebecca..." she said.

"Look, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way. Whichever you choose, I end up leaving with your treasure," said the girl.  
>"I'll have the crew alerted before you even step foot off this ship," said Jill.<p>

"That's fine, call your crew. If they're anything like the kid upstairs, I could take them with my eyes closed," responded the girl, smiling.

Jill paused, eyeing the girl carefully. She seemed familiar somehow, but was nothing like anyone she'd ever met. "Who are you?" she asked.

The girl grinned and jumped forward, swinging the sword towards Jill's head. The attack was blocked quickly, and she jumped fast right over the blade from Jill's sword. Both girls spun around and ended up staring the other down once again.

"You're fast," said Jill.

"Giving up?" asked the girl.

Jill smiled and brought her sword forward, and the battle was on.

* * *

><p>Not too far away, the young man was examining various objects from a small cabin next to the steering area. He had found a compass, a few maps, and a few bracelets but there didn't seem to be much worth taking. He picked up the compass and spun it around a bit, watching the needle turn and point to the same direction every time. He sighed and put it in his pocket, then turned to leave the cabin. He froze, staring into the tip of a blade.<p>

"Put it back," said Chris.

The boy smiled. "Put what back?" he asked.

"The compass, you fool," Chris warned. "Put it back, and put your hands up. And before you even think of reaching for you sword, I should warn you that you're staring at it as we speak."

The smile faded off the boy's face. He looked down at his empty sheath and blinked. "How did you get it without me noticing?" he asked.

"I'm just that good," said Chris. "Now put the compass back, and start talking!"

The boy did as told, setting the compass back on top of the maps. He thought of ways to get out, but knew they'd all end with his death.

* * *

><p>Jill stabbed the sword forward, but the girl jumped back quickly. She tried slashing at both the girl's feet and head, but she was just too fast, almost like she was reading her every move. The insulting part Jill hated the most was that the girl seemed to be enjoying the fight, and used defensive movements that almost seemed like she was dancing.<p>

"I really don't wanna hurt you, I just want the treasures and I'll be out before you know it!" said the girl.

"Not on my watch you won't!" said Jill, swinging the sword forward again.

The girl dove forward, rolling on the deck, and stood back up behind Jill all within a second. She brought a solid kick to Jill's back, sending her smashing into the pillar of the lookout tower. Jill winced and dropped her sword on impact. She turned around but stopped moving when the sword was right at her neck. "How...did you do that so fast?" she asked.

The girl smiled. "I told you, there's the easy way, and the hard way...and you're kind of stuck in the middle right now," she said.

"Drop your sword!" yelled a man's voice behind her.

The girl reacted quickly. She grabbed Jill's arm and pulled her forward, brought her arm up and held the blade right on Jill's neck, so any movement on either of their parts would draw blood. Once she turned, she saw that the ship's captain was holding her friend in the same way. Both of them tightened their grip, waiting for the other to make the first move.

After nearly a minute of the silent face off, the captain, Chris, slightly released his grip on the sword, but held onto the boy. He stared at the young girl in disbelief. "Claire?" he asked. The young girl looked confused, but Chris could see a hint of recognition. He lowered his sword and pushed the boy aside. "Claire, it's me!" he said.

The girl stared at him, and finally lowered the sword. "I haven't heard that name in years..." she said.

Jill turned and brought her knee up into the girl's gut, knocking her to her knees. She quickly picked up the fallen sword and pointed it to the girl's throat. "I got her, Chris!" she said.

Chris started towards them. "Let her go," he told Jill.

"But Chris..."

"Do it, Jill," said Chris.

Jill did as told and the girl stood back up. She stared at Chris blankly. "Chris?" she asked.

"You do remember me, right?" asked Chris.

The girl nodded. "I'm just a little...confused, I guess. This is your ship?" she asked.

Chris frowned. "Yeah...why, planning on stealing it?" he asked.

The girl, Claire, rolled her eyes. "That was three years ago, give it up!" she said.

"Exactly, three years without a word from you! What the hell were you thinking?" asked Chris.

Claire turned and started walking away, but Chris reached forward and grabbed her arm. "No, you're not running off this time. We're going to sit down and talk about what exactly was going through your mind at the time," he said.

Jill stepped forward. "Um, mind if I ask what exactly is going on?" she asked.

They looked at Jill, and Chris nodded. He released Claire's arm and smiled. "Jill, I'd like you to meet Claire, my younger sister," he said.

Claire bowed as if he'd just introduced royalty. Jill looked at her, then back to Chris. "I didn't know you had a sister," she said.

"Well, it's not something I've been going around bragging about..." said Chris. "Three years ago, she stole my ship in the middle of the night and I haven't seen her since."

"I was sick of you bossing me around," said Claire.

"You could've said something! You know how worried I was at first?" he asked.

Jill held her arms up. "Guys, hold on a second!" she said. She turned to look at Claire, a look of confusion on her face. "So, you got sick of being bossed around and stole a ship? How old were you?" she asked.

Claire blinked. "Um..." she thought about it for a few seconds.

"She was sixteen," said Chris.

"Sixteen?" said Jill. "Chris, how the hell did a sixteen year-old steal a ship from YOU?"

Chris sighed. "It's complicated," he said.

"Not really. See, he taught me everything he knows, including stealing ships. One night we were docked in a small town, and I was able to get away without him even waking up," said Claire.

Jill stared at Claire, shocked. "And the crew?" she asked.

Chris shook his head. "No crew, just her," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

"To be honest, I was planning on bringing it back, but after a few days I got completely lost. Then I ran into Leon when I stopped for supplies, and he's been with me ever since," said Claire.

"Leon?" asked Chris, raising a brow. He turned to look at the confused boy behind them. "This guy over here?" he asked.

"No, that's Steve," said Claire.

"Hi, I'm Steve!" said Steve.

"Shut up, Steve," said Chris. Steve frowned, and Chris looked back to Claire. "So, where is this Leon?" he asked.

At that exact moment, a boy swung down with a rope and bumped against Chris, sending him over the side of the boat. Jill, Claire, and Steve all ran to the side and looked over.

"You took longer than usual, so I figured something bad happened," said the boy who'd swung in with the rope.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Chris yelled from the water.

Jill grabbed a rope-ladder and threw it over. "Here, climb up!" she said.

Claire couldn't hold back from laughing. "Hey Chris, how's the water today?" she yelled.

"Shut the hell up, Claire, or you're going down next!" he warned.

The boy walked over to them and blinked. "Claire?" he asked.

Claire's grin disappeared. "Um, yeah..." she said.

"You never told me your name was Claire," said the boy.

"Me neither, actually," said Steve.

"Okay guys, shut up. Yes, that's my name, so deal with it," she said.

Chris reached the top of the ladder and sighed, his clothes soaked. "You've been traveling with people who don't even know your name? Seriously, how irresponsible are you?" he asked.

"Shut up, I went by another name," she said.

"What was it, Moron Redfield?" asked Chris, grinning slightly.

The boy looked at Claire. "Your last name is Redfield?" he asked.

"Is that where the 'Red' comes from?" asked Steve.

The boy hit Steve on the arm. "No, you idiot, that's because she has red hair," he said.

Knowing this would lead to a fight, Jill put her arms up between the two. "Before there's bloodshed, I'd like to know...Is THIS Leon?" she asked.

Everyone looked at her, then to the boy. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm Leon," he said.

Chris stepped up to him, glaring at him. "And how old are you, _Leon_?" he asked, speaking the name between gritted teeth.

Leon stood his ground, confused. "I don't see how that's your damn concern," he said.

Claire sighed. "See, this is why I left...you think you have to know and control EVERYTHING. Come on, guys, let's get out of here," she said. She started towards the side of the boat, but Chris caught her arm again. Leon reached for his sword, but Claire held her hand up. "It's fine," she said.

Leon held the sword's hilt, staring at Chris. He'd never seen anyone lay a hand on Claire, and wasn't ready to let things get bad. "Who the hell is that guy anyways?" he asked.

Claire pulled her arm away from Chris. "It doesn't matter, 'cause we're leaving and forgetting all about this happy little reunion," she said.

"No, you're not. You're coming with me and talking things over," said Chris.

"Chris, I ditched you once before, I can do it again...and if you think a fight'll stop me, you're wrong; I'm better than you," said Claire, bringing up her sword. She made the mistake of looking over to Leon and Steve. "Just give me about a minute and we'll be hea-" something hit her on the head, and she dropped to the deck.

Chris was holding his sword up with the hilt facing down. He sighed and looked to Steve and Leon. "Now, I know this looks bad, but I really need to talk to my sister, and I know she won't stay without a fight. You guys can wait here with Jill, and please don't kill each other..." said Chris. He picked Claire up and headed to the lower deck, and through the door to the quarters.

Leon watched him leave then glanced over to Jill. "His sister?" he asked.

Jill sighed and sat down on a step. "You know, I have no freaking clue anymore..." she said.


	3. Parted Once More

It had been about an hour since the siblings had disappeared, leaving everyone else to sit around awkwardly. Jill had gone up to the lookout tower to check on Rebecca, who had woken up right before and was entirely confused. After explaining to her what happened, Jill went back down to check the knots in the ropes that held the sail in place. It was her job to inspect them daily and make sure everything was good, and she'd already checked them but now she just needed something to do to keep herself busy.

"So..." said Leon, hoping to break the silence.

Jill looked up, understanding his confusion. "I take it she's never mentioned a brother?" she said.

He nodded. "She's never really mentioned anything, not even her name. I just assumed her family was dead, so I never asked about it," he said.

"I know what you mean," Jill said. She stepped down from the ropes and sighed. "The captain's never really had a reason to keep anything from me, but I think having his younger sister steal his ship when he's supposed to be the best pirate out there comes down to a pretty good reason for secrets."

Leon grinned. "I take it you're disappointed in your captain?" he asked.

"We're good friends," she said.

"I'm sure," said Leon.

"...I'm not sure I like your tone, there," said Jill.

"Oh come on, I'm sure you guys are more than just 'good friends'," he said. He stood up and stretched.

Jill wanted to change the subject. "What about you and his sister? You know, he won't be too keen on keeping you around if there's anything going on," she said.

Leon turned. "I don't think that'd be any of his business," he said.

Jill sighed. "I take it there's nothing going on, then," she said.

"Why would you assume that?" asked the boy.  
>Jill stood up and pretended to check a rope again. "If there was anything going on between the two of you, you'd be really close. I gather you would've been down here to begin with instead of that kid," she said, nodding towards Steve. He'd been sitting quietly on the floor, trying to understand everything.<p>

Leon looked over and nodded. "It's true...Red and I are really good friends, have been for three years. I love her like a sister," he said. "But that's all."

"Red?" asked Jill.  
>"Oh, um...Claire," said Leon. "Sorry, it might take a while for it to stick."<p>

Jill nodded. "I get that, but did you mean Red? As in, THE Red? The one every town's talking about?" she asked. The stories had always seemed farfetched to her, but she'd met people who swore to be victims. She'd just assumed they were drunk.  
>Leon sighed. "At first, we were just poor and desperate. I'd done a bit of pick pocketing as a kid, but it was nothing compared to what this girl could do. I saw her walk in and out of a crowded room undetected with over ten coin purses. After a while, we heard people talk about the ship, how it followed the fog and crept up to other ships, cleaned them out, and left like a cloud of lotus," he said.<p>

"Let me guess, you thought it was exciting?" asked Jill, clearly not impressed.

Steve stood up and joined the group. "It was more than exciting, it was awesome!" he said.

"Stealing is not awesome," said Jill.

Leon and Steve looked at each other, then back to Jill. "Um, aren't you and your captain pirates?" asked Leon.

Jill froze. "Well, yeah...But that's different," she said.  
>"How so?" asked Steve.<p>

"It just is, okay?" she said, grinning.

Just then, the door to the crew's quarters opened and Claire walked out, furious. She walked over to the group and picked up her sword from where it was left. Seconds later, Chris stepped through the door. "Don't even think about it," he said.

"No, no, no, no, and a thousand times more, NO!" said Claire.

Jill walked over to Chris. "What's going on?" she asked.

Chris sighed. "She wants to leave again," he said.

"Not 'wants to', more like 'is going to'. And honestly, I'd like to see you stop me," said Claire.

"I'm not fighting you," said Chris.

"Coward."  
>Jill looked at her captain. "Why not just let her go? She's obviously been handling herself fine up until now," she said.<p>

Claire laughed. "Maybe she should be the captain," she said. She sheathed her sword and looked at Leon and Steve. "Get the ship ready, we're leaving."

"You got it," said Steve. He turned and walked to the ship.

Chris shook his head. He didn't feel right about lying, but knew it was his best angle to take. "Claire, I'm not asking you to stay because I worry about you...I really do need your help," he said.

"So you've said," said his sister.

"Wait, help with what?" asked Jill.  
>"The mission," said Chris.<p>

"He thinks risking his own life and crew isn't enough, so he needs to take me down with him," said Claire.

Leon looked from one person to another. "What mission?

Claire pointed to her brother. "That crazy fool wants to go after the Veronica. Not only that, he wants us to go along with him," she said.

"The Veronica!? Are you crazy!?" yelled Leon.

Claire laughed as she headed towards the side of the ship, where her own ship was waiting. "That's what I said. Sorry, brother, but this is one suicide mission I will not be a part of," she said.

Leon, Chris, and Jill all followed her. Jill used a rope to pull herself up to the side of the ship and sat on the ledge. "I'm not sure exactly what you've told her about the mission, but it would be wrong to make her go along. It's dangerous, and I don't even think WE should be going," she said.

Claire and Leon hopped over the ledge and onto the other ship. "Tell you what...We'll get out of here, but once your ship gets blown up and half your crew's dead, contact me and we MIGHT give you a lift somewhere. Maybe," said Claire. "Start her up, Steve!"

"You got it!" called Steve from somewhere on the ship. The sail opened up and the ship started moving forward.

"Hey, wait! You can't just steal my ship again!" yelled Chris, leaning over the ledge. It was already too far away to jump.

Claire smiled. "Consider yourself lucky that's all I'm stealing," she said. She held her hand out in front of Leon and he put something in it. She wound back and threw something to Chris.

He caught it and looked down. It was the compass he'd seen Leon with earlier. "How did they manage to get that?" he asked, looking to Jill, who simply shrugged.

Back on the other ship, Claire waved as her own gathered speed. "You know, I kind of feel bad for doing this again," she said.

"I could see how, but it does sound like a suicide mission to go after the Veronica. What could he possibly be trying to get?" asked Leon.

"Apparently some rich kid got kidnapped by her father's friend. My brother owes the guy a favor, so he's going after her," she said.

"That poor kid...I heard a tale that anyone trapped on that ship becomes a demon somehow," said Leon.

"Yes, but if she's being held hostage, there must be a reward...Meaning I don't think she's in too much danger," said Claire.

Steve was at the controls, but they were close enough for him to hear. "So, we missed out on a mission that could involve a reward, and we also just left a ship without any loot," he said.  
>Claire turned to him. "What's your point?" she asked.<p>

"Well, I understand he was your brother and all...But we went on there to get some food," he said.

"Oh, that's right," said Leon. "We can't go much farther without food on board."

Claire sighed. She didn't like skipping details, but the last thing she'd expected was a reunion on the job. She couldn't go back and admit to Chris that they needed supplies, but she couldn't find herself to order the theft of his. "Alright, we'll dock at the first port we find and stock up there," she commanded.

"But we haven't got any money, either," said Steve.

"I never said we'd be buying anything, I said we'd stock up."

"Oh...Sorry, Captain," said Steve.

Claire rolled her eyes. "For the hundredth time, Steve, don't call me that," she said.  
>"Alright then," he grinned, "Claire."<p>

"And definitely don't call me THAT. I left that name behind years ago, and the next time I'm hearing it I'm leaving YOU behind," she said. She turned and headed for the cabin, leaving Leon and Steve at the wheel.

"Way to go, idiot," said Leon.

"Hey, I was joking. It's a nice name, though," said Steve.

Leon nodded and climbed up the rope-ladder to the lookout post. He knew the captain was probably lost in thoughts, so he made it his first priority to find a town with a port.

All the lookout tools in the world couldn't alert him, that a demon ship was following not far behind.


	4. Attacked

"Captain Wesker, sir, we have a ship in our view."  
>Albert turned to his associate, a short scrawny man whose main purpose was to handle all of the Veronica's businesses. He rarely ever traveled aboard the ship, preferring to handle things on land, which made Albert wonder why he was the one delivering the news to him.<br>"Irving, my dear friend, where is my lookout crew? Why are you so anxious about this?" he asked.

Nervous, Irving took a step back and risked a smile. "Because, sir, we think we know whose ship it is," he said. He was relieved when Albert's face turned into a cynical half-smile.  
>"Show me," he said.<p>

Irving led the captain out onto the deck, where two members of the crew were looking out through scopes. They turned at the sound of footsteps, and once they saw their leader they straightened up. One of them gave him a scope.

"Let's see what we have here..." he said as he looked out into the distance through the scope. He saw the ship, with the red skull on the sail, and smiled again. Every detail resembled that of his rival's ship, even though he hadn't seen it for years. "Shoot to sink, not to kill. I want him alive," he said.

"Aye aye, sir," said one of the crew. He ran down the deck, barking orders to the rest of the crew. Within minutes, they had gained speed, and the canons were all ready to fire.  
>Albert looked at Irving and smiled. "Once the ship is sinking, bring me the boy," he said.<p>

"Yes, sir," said Irving.

Albert walked back towards the cabin. "And here I was thinking this would take a few days," he said to himself as he headed back down to the cells.

Jill tightened the knot on the sail's rope. "There's a port ahead, sir," she said as Chris stepped out of the crew's quarters.

"Jill, please," he said.  
>"Sorry, Chris...Just following rank," she said. But there's a port ahead. Should we dock?" she asked.<p>

"That's a tough call...We're still technically fugitives, but the richest man with the most powerful army has us saving his daughter, so I don't think we'll get in too much trouble if we stop for supplies," he said.

"So long as we pay for them," said a voice behind him. He turned and saw his oldest companion, Barry, step out of the quarters. "Don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat," he said.

Chris smiled and nodded. "Then it's settled, we're docking," he told Jill. "Take care of ensuring we don't crash. Barry, you go down and get the gold. Only take what we'll need, wouldn't want our savings stolen by some pick-pocket. And Rebecca!" he called out, looking up.

"Yes sir?" called Rebecca, leaning over the side of the lookout tower.

"Come down from there, we'll be reaching port within the next twenty minutes!" he said.

"Aye, captain!" said Rebecca.

"It's pretty far out, we might take longer. Still a lot of open waters between here and there," said Jill.

Chris thought it over, and finally looked up again. "Rebecca!" he called.

"Yes captain!"  
>"Forget that! Just keep on the lookout until I let you know!" he said.<p>

Up in the tower, Rebecca saluted her captain. "Sure thing!" she said. She sighed, looking out in the distance. She couldn't see the port they were talking about, but then again she wasn't using her scope. She looked around the tower for it, but something else caught her eye. There was a piece of driftwood passing next to the ship. Possibly a log, since there was land up ahead.

She found her scope and looked at the water. It wasn't a log; it was a board, most probably from a ship. "CAPTAIN!" she yelled out.

Down below, Chris and Jill looked up. "Yes?" said Chris.

"Sir, there are parts of a ship drifting by!" said Rebecca.

Chris blinked. "What? Which side?" he asked.

"Starboard, sir!"

"Stop the ship," Chris said as he ran to the side of the ship, with Barry right at his heels. He leaned over and spotted what Rebecca had seen. Planks that had clearly been torn from a ship were floating by, along with barrels and boards still wrapped in ropes. "What did this..."

After bringing down the sail, Jill ran over and looked down. "Was it an attack by the Veronica?" she suggested, though she really hoped it wasn't.

Barry nodded. "If we're on their trail, then I'd bet money it is," he said.

Chris looked around. There didn't seem to be any life-boats, or bodies. "Seems like the poor souls didn't make it," he said.

"We could report it once we reach the port," said Jill.

"They'll blame us," said Chris.

Barry put his hand on his captain's shoulder. Chris looked at him. "What is it?" he asked. He saw concern in his friend's eyes and followed the gaze. In the water, sitting on a barrel, was a pirate flag. The skull was red.

"I'm sorry," said Barry.

Chris turned and ran further down the deck, following the path of the barrel. He threw a rope-ladder over the side of the ship and quickly climbed down.  
>"Chris, what are you doing?" asked Jill.<p>

He reached the water level and leaned forward, grabbing the flag. Once it was tightly secured in his hand, he climbed back up the ladder and aboard the ship. There, he held the flag and examined it carefully.

"Chris?" asked Jill, walking over.

"I made this," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He looked up, his eyes red with a hint of forming tears. "I made this flag when I bought that ship," he said.

Jill shook her head. "I don't-"  
>Chris threw the flag on the deck and leaned over the side of the ship. "CLAIRE!" he yelled out.<p>

Barry sighed. "He thought it was you," he said. "He didn't know you have a different ship."

Chris ignored him and kept calling out to the sea, hoping that maybe it would reply. He did this for nearly twenty minutes.

"Chris..." said Barry.

"No." Chris turned and looked at them. "Until I see a body, I'm not accepting anything," he said.

Barry nodded. "As you say, but it'll be dark soon and we shouldn't be out in the open in case they come back," he said. "You know as well as I do that we can't risk everything for hope."

"But-"  
>Jill stepped in front of him. "He's right, we should keep heading for the port, and maybe someone there can give us information on what happened. We're close enough that canon-fire would be heard, possibly even seen," she said.<p>

Chris nodded. "You're right, both of you. Alright, head for the port, get Rebecca down and tell her to get ready. We're not staying long," he said.

"Got it," said Barry. He started the climb to the tower, while Jill stayed by Chris.

He looked up. "Shouldn't you be getting the sail up and going?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not until I'm sure you're fine," she said.

Chris sighed. "Three years, and I get her back. A few hours, and she's gone again. Now, she might be gone for good," he said, looking down. "How am I supposed to be fine?"

"I'm sorry, Chris. From what I've gathered, she's a tough fighter. She could still be somewhere, or-"  
>Chris stood straight. "Or on the Veronica," he finished.<p>

"Does Wesker know she's your sister?" asked Jill.

"I doubt it, but he'll want to know why she had my ship. To be honest, I don't much care if he takes or kills Leon and Steve...But if he has my sister, this mission just got personal," he said. "I'll understand if you and the others would prefer to stay in town."

Jill laughed. "You're going to track down Albert Wesker, on the Veronica, to rescue some kid and possibly your sister. That sounds dangerous alright," she said.  
>"Yeah, it does..."<br>"I'm in," said Jill.

Chris looked up, and saw her sincere smile. He couldn't help but return it, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Jill. There's just one problem," he said.  
>"Name it."<br>"The sail's still down."  
>"Oh...I'm on it, SIR," she said, her smile changing to a grin. She turned and ran to the ropes, while Chris turned to look out to the sea again.<br>He thought everything over in his head, and sighed. He only saw two possible scenarios as to Claire's fate. The more he thought about the Veronica and its beyond-evil captain, the more he sadly hoped that his sister had died at sea.

Albert sat at a large dining table on the Veronica. He smiled as his crew brought in the boy with a sack over his head. "Ahh, my company has arrived. Please, sit him," he said, motioning to the chair across the table.

The two crew members forced their prisoner to the chair, and tied his hands to it.

"Now, remove mister Redfield's sack, please, we need to have a conversation and I'd much rather see the pain in his eyes," said Albert.  
>One of the men pulled the sack up, and Albert stood, pushing his chair back. "What is this!?" he yelled.<p>

On the chair, Steve froze as he saw the anger build up in his captor.

"I asked you to fetch me Redfield, you imbeciles! Who is this fool!?" yelled Albert.

"He was the only one on board, sir!" said one of the men.

"CLEARLY YOU'VE BEEN SLIPPED! GET OUT OF HERE!"

The crewmen turned and ran out the door, leaving Steve at the hands of their angry captain.

"No, my dear boy..." said Albert, trying to contain his temper. "Tell me, who are you?" he asked.

"My...My name's Steve," he said.

"Well then, Steve, do you work for Redfield?" he asked.

Steve thought the name was familiar, but couldn't place it. "No, sir, I don't know that name," he said.

"Redfield, as in Chris Redfield, the captain of the ship you apparently sailed alone," said Albert.

"My captain's name is not Chris," he said.

"Then why were you on his ship? I know the flag, with the red skull, no other pirate sailed with it," said Albert.

Steve remembered now. His captain's long-lost brother Chris, and the talk of the stolen ship. He couldn't give any of that away, but knew he'd be dead in a minute if he refused to answer. "The red skull is my captain's logo. You've heard of Red's ship?" he asked.

With his patience running thin, Albert rubbed his eyes with his hand. "Yes, I've heard of this Red. You're telling me Redfield's ship was stolen by this...Red?" he asked.

"I believe so, but way before my time on it," said Steve.  
>"Hmm...And you're trying to tell me that your captain wasn't on the ship when we attacked you."<br>"Well, she was...I don't think she survived, though," said Steve.  
>"She!?" yelled Albert, standing again. "You're telling me Redfield's ship was stolen by a mere girl?"<p>

Before Steve could answer, the crewmen were called back in. "I won't sit here and listen to anymore of your lies, boy. I'm not sure what you're trying to protect, but I'll find your captain, and believe me you'll regret trying to trick me," he said.

"I wasn't lying!" yelled Steve.

"Enough! Take him to the cells with the girl, until I've decided what to do with him," said the captain. His crewmen took Steve and dragged him out of the room.

"Stolen by a girl...Chris, if you're telling your men to lie, at least come up with something a bit more dignified," he said, looking out of a window, laughing.


End file.
